Distribution of population between different poverty lines in El Salvador
El Salvador: Distribution of population between different poverty lines was 3.79 million people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
3.79 million people
Change on year
up 6.0%
World rank
71st
of 120 countries
All-time high
3.79 million people
in 2023
All-time low
1.29 million people
in 1991
Years of data
29
1989–2023
Distribution of population between different poverty lines in El Salvador, 1989–2023
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2023, distribution of population between different poverty lines in El Salvador stood at 3.79 million people. That is the highest value across all 29 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.0% on the previous year and up 54.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, distribution of population between different poverty lines in El Salvador peaked at 3.79 million people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.29 million people, in 1991.
El Salvador ranks 71st of 120 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.
Distribution of population between different poverty lines in El Salvador, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 1.49 million people | — |
| 1991 | 1.29 million people | -13.6% |
| 1995 | 1.62 million people | +25.4% |
| 1996 | 1.66 million people | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 1.77 million people | +6.5% |
| 1999 | 1.92 million people | +8.5% |
| 2000 | 2.13 million people | +11.0% |
| 2001 | 2.08 million people | -2.5% |
| 2002 | 2.12 million people | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 2.02 million people | -4.8% |
| 2004 | 2.10 million people | +3.7% |
| 2005 | 2.08 million people | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 2.08 million people | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 2.23 million people | +7.1% |
| 2008 | 2.13 million people | -4.2% |
| 2009 | 2.04 million people | -4.2% |
| 2010 | 2.17 million people | +6.0% |
| 2011 | 2.08 million people | -3.7% |
| 2012 | 2.19 million people | +5.1% |
| 2013 | 2.45 million people | +11.6% |
| 2014 | 2.48 million people | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 2.61 million people | +5.3% |
| 2016 | 2.75 million people | +5.6% |
| 2017 | 2.86 million people | +3.8% |
| 2018 | 3.12 million people | +9.2% |
| 2019 | 3.39 million people | +8.6% |
| 2021 | 3.53 million people | +4.2% |
| 2022 | 3.57 million people | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 3.79 million people | +6.0% |
El Salvador compared with similar countries
- El Salvador's 3.79 million people is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 8.77 million people, 43% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
- El Salvador's 3.79 million people is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 8.45 million people, 45% of the median. (18 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.49 million people | 1.49 million people | 1.49 million people | 1 |
| 1990s | 1.65 million people | 1.29 million people | 1.92 million people | 5 |
| 2000s | 2.10 million people | 2.02 million people | 2.23 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.61 million people | 2.08 million people | 3.39 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.63 million people | 3.53 million people | 3.79 million people | 3 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
- 68 Honduras 4.43 million people compare
- 69 Costa Rica 4.39 million people compare
- 70 Cote d'Ivoire 3.93 million people compare
- 72 Croatia 3.76 million people compare
- 73 Kenya 3.74 million people compare
- 74 Azerbaijan 3.60 million people compare
More poverty & inequality data for El Salvador
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 7 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.77 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 2,819 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 1.53 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 20.61 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 20.6% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is distribution of population between different poverty lines in El Salvador?
- Distribution of population between different poverty lines in El Salvador was 3.79 million people in 2023, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest distribution of population between different poverty lines recorded in El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 3.79 million people in 2023.
- What is the lowest distribution of population between different poverty lines recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.29 million people in 1991.
- How does El Salvador rank for distribution of population between different poverty lines?
- El Salvador ranks 71st out of 120 countries with data for 2023.
- Is distribution of population between different poverty lines rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is up 54.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this El Salvador data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Distribution of population between different poverty lines. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of people living in households with an income or consumption above $10 per day.